The invention relates to a balloon dilatation catheter for percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.
Catheters of this type have been known for a long time under the designation "PTCA catheters" for the treatment of strictures in blood vessels and have generally proven themselves in this respect. However, the treatment of strictures or stenoses in ramifications is very difficult and complex using the known catheters. The two methods below have in particular become well known.
In the so-called "kissing balloon" technique, two balloon dilatation catheters are introduced percutaneously at the same time. The distal ends of the dilatation catheters separate in front of the ramification in such a way that a balloon comes to lie in each branch of the ramification. The proximal ends of the two balloons touch while doing this. Both balloon dilatation catheters are generally dilated at the same time for dilatation of the stenosis. This method and the catheter designed for it are described in EP-A 0,347,023.
In the other treatment method, two identical guide wires are introduced, again percutaneously, and in such a way that they separate in front of the ramification. On the one guide wire, a so-called "monorail" catheter is now first introduced into one branch of the ramification. The stricture site in this branch is dilated using the balloon of the catheter, and the catheter is thereafter completely withdrawn. On the other guide wire, a further balloon dilatation catheter of this type is now introduced into the other branch of the ramification, and the stricture in this other branch is now dilated. One advantage of this method is that the time necessary for fluoroscopy can be reduced. The treatment time can therefore be kept especially short using this method.